Shoe and improvement in shoe making



Aug. 2, 1938. 1.. J. BAZZONI 2,125,323

SHOE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOEMAKING' Filed Aug. 15, 1935 Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE SHOE AND IMPROVEMENT IN SHOE MAKING Application August 15, 1935, Serial No. 36,354

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel sole and heel and to a method of locating them properly upon the bottom of a lasted shoe.

In manufacturing shoes having Louis heels it is customary to split heel-breast covering flaps from the grain sides of the heel ends of soles, the soles being split forwardly of their respective heel-breast lines. After the sole has been attached to the shoe the heel-seat portion thereof is reduced to fit within the attaching face of the heel, sufiicient material being removed from the sole to insure that the rim of the attaching face of the heel shall snugly engage the counter portion of the shoe upper. In order to complete 2 the heel-seat fitting operation a pair of heelbreast receiving shoulders, which are engaged by the forward edge of the projecting lip of the heel of the shoe, are formed at the forward end of the reduced heel-seat portion of the sole. After the heel has been attached to the shoe the flap is cemented to the rear end of the shank of the sole and to the breast of the heel.

The flap is split forwardly of the heel-breast line of the sole as above described in order to permit the operator to form heel-breast receiving shoulders and to bevel the central part of the end of the lip which overlies the median portion of the sole thereby insuring that the lip shall merge with the shank of the sole. When shoes are construct- 3 ed as above described it has been found that if the heel becomes loose, movement of the same with relation to the shoe upper causes the flap to be pulled away from the shank of the sole to which it is cemented. Such a defect not only mars the appearance of the shoe but also weakens the joint between the heel and shank of the sole.

With the above and other considerations in view the sole of the present invention has a heelbreast receiving shoulder extending from one side of the sole to the other, the sole also having a reduced heel seat and a heel-breast covering flap which with said shoulder and said reduced heel seat forms a mortise for receiving the lip of a Louis heel, the material of the flap being continuous with the material of the main portion of the sole at said shoulder.

For locating such a sole upon a lasted shoe so as to ensure the subsequent proper location of a Louis heel there is provided a machine comprising shoe locating means and a member constructed and arranged to be engaged by the heelbreast receiving shoulder of the sole for positioning the sole lengthwise of the shoe, the member being provided with an extension for engaging within a recess formed in the sole for positioning the heel end of the sole widthwise with relation to the shoe. The sole may be stapled or otherwise temporarily fastened to the lasted shoe when it has been positioned upon the same.

The method of locating the sole which may conveniently be practiced by the machine referred to above, a method modified sometimes in the manner described below, greatly facilitates the proper locating of the heel just prior to the heel attaching operation and ensures in the finished shoe a heel which is very firmly attached.

When the lip of the Louis heel is forced into engagement with the heel-breast receiving shoulder it has been found occasionally that when, after various operations the heel is to be attached, it is not correctly positioned with relation to the shoe upper. This defect is sometimes due to inaccurate sole laying but generally to the fact that the sole after having been stapled to the shoe and prior to the heel-attaching operation changes in temper, and this change causes the heel-breast receiving shoulder to move slightly forward. In such case when the heel is correctly positioned the lip of the heel is slightly spaced from the heel-breast receiving shoulder and forms an unsightly joint with the shoulder. In order to insure against such a condition the illustrated heel has a projecting lip which is slightly longer than the lip of the standard Louis heel, a substantial lengthwise portion of the forward end of the lip being of uniform thickness. The heel-breast receiving shoulder is complemental to the forward end of the lip of the heel. If the heel projects too far rearwardly with relation to the rear end of the shoe upper when the lip has 35 been forced against the heel-breast receiving shoulder, the operator removes a portion of the lip by forcing the same against a rotary grinder.

In a construction such as above described the joint formed between the heel and the shank of the sole is durable and of pleasing appearance.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sole provided with a heel-breast covering flap and having a heel-breast receiving shoulder which extends widthwise of the sole and is positioned at the base of the flap;

Fig. 2 is a perspective'view showing the sole illustrated in Fig. 1 after its heel-seat portion has been reduced; 59

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the sole being positioned with respect to a shoe upper by the use of an illustrated machine;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section illustrating a heel being measured with relation to the shoe upper;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a Louis heel the projecting lip of which is being reduced by a grinder; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the heel end of a shoe in which the above sole and heel have been incorporated.

The invention is illustrated with reference to a sole 2!] having a heel-breast covering flap 22 split from the grain side of the sole by the use of a machine which comprises a tubuiar saw and is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,107,281, granted February 8, 1938, on an application filed in my name.

The splitting cut terminates at the breast line 24 of the sole, the flap 22 thus extending to the lower or the flap edge 26 of aheel-breast receiving shoulder 28 which extends heightwise and widthwise of the sole. It will be noted that the drawing illustrates the tread face of the sole 20 as facing upwardly. In illustrating the invention, however, the lower edge 26 of the heelbreast receiving shoulder 28 designates the edge of the shoulder at which the heel-breast covering flap 22 terminates and which is positioned below an upper or heel-seat edge 32 of the shoulder 28 when a shoe 29 to which the sole is attached is being worn. After the flap 22 and the heel-breast receiving shoulder 28 have been formed, an elongated recess 34 is punched in the forward central part of the heel-seat portion 35 of the sole. The heel-seat portion 35 of the sole is then trimmed to provide a reduced heel seat 38 (Fig. 2) which is constructed and arranged to fit Within a cavity 40 (Fig. 4) formed in the forward end of a flat attaching face d2 of a heel 44 which is to be attached to the shoe upper.

Although the heel-breast receiving shoulder 28 and the heel-breast covering flap 22 are described as being formed by the use of the above-mentioned machine, it will be understood that the flap 22 and the heel-breast receiving shoulder 28 may be formed by the use of various tools.

The heel-breast covering flap 22 has the same general shape as the flap disclosed and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,983,592, granted December 11, 1934 upon an application filed in my name and comprises a margin 56 which is relatively thin and of uniform thickness, and a relatively thick median base portion 52 of sufficient thickness to withstand the wear to which the flap of the finished shoe is subjected.

In order to position the sole 26 upon the'shoe so that its heel-breast receiving shoulder 28 is correctly located with relation to the rear end 5-4 of the shoe for a given size of heel there is provided a plate 56 (Fig. 3) which has a depending counter gage 58 and the forward end of which is constructed and arranged to engage the heel-breast receiving shoulder 28. The plate 56 is provided with a depending flange or extension 60 constructed and arranged to engage the sides and the forward end of the recess 314 and to position the rear end of the sole widthwise of the lasted shoe 29 as well as to assist in positioning the sole lengthwise upon the shoe.f

In order that the shoe 29 which is mounted upon a last 62 may be positioned widthwise with relation to the plate 55 a pair of centralizing arms 64 are pivotally connected to the plate 56, the arms being geared together. Rearward extensions 66 of the arms 54 are provided with enlarged slots for receiving a pin 58 havinga thumb nut H1 in threaded relation. therewith. A spring .12 is mounted upon the pin' 88 and has its respective ends in engagement with the rearward extensions 66 of the arms 64.

When the shoe is removed from the machine the work-engaging faces M of the arms 64 which engage opposite sides of the shoe, swing toward each other until limited by the nut ill and a head It of the pin 68.. The reduced heel, seat 38 of the sole may be temporarilyv secured td the shoe by a pair of staples 78 (Fig. 3), the plate 56 being provided with circular openings 80 to receive a stapling tool (not shown). Plates 56 of difierentlengthsmay secured to a plate carrier 8| for different sizes of heels. Instead of utilizing the forward end of the plate 56 to locate the sole lengthwise of the shoe upper the sol may be located both lengthwise and widthwise; by engagement of the flange 60 within the recess 34.

'As above'stated, even though the heel-breast receiving shoulder 28 of the attached sole is initially positioned in proper lengthwise relation to the rear end 54 of the shoe it frequently happens that by the time the heel is to be attached. to the shoe the heel-breast receiving shoulder- 28 has shifted slightly lengthwise andusually forwardly of the shoe. When this occurs a gap is formed between the lip of the heel and the heel breast receiving shoulder with the result that the joint between the heel and the shankoffthe sole is weakened and the appearance'ofithe'shoe at such joint is marred.

In order to remedy the above'condition; the illustrated heel 2 3 is provided with a projecting lip 82 which is slightly longer than the lip of the standard Louis heel, a substantial lengthwise portion of the forward end of the lipbeingof uniform thickness throughout thewidth'ofthe lip. The thickness of the forward end of the lip 82 is practically equal tothe height of. the heel-breast receiving shoulder 28thereby insuring the formation of a neat jointbetween the breast of the heel and the shank of the shoe. Thegcen tral base portion 52 of the flap is relatively rigid and, together with the heel-breast: receiving shoulder 23 and the reduced heelseat33 may be said to form a mortise for receiving the project ing lip '82 of the heel. r

Preparatory to attaching the heel to the shoe the operator forces the forward end of the lip, 82 against the heel-breast receiving shoulder 28 and if such heel extends beyond the rear end 54 of the shoe (Fig.4) the lip 82 is forced againstzan abrasive wheel 84 (Fig. 5) until the lip has been reduced to the proper length. After alittleiex= perience the operator can accurately determine the extent to which the lip of the heel is reduced inaccordance with the pressure withwhich the heel is forced against the grinder. The heel is permanently attached to the shoe upper after the lip has been reduced to the proper length andthe flap 22 is then applied to the breast of the heel.

Claims directed to the above-described heel'are included in an application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 177,946, filed'Dec'. '3; 1937, in my name.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 'Patentof the United States is: s

1. That improvement in methods of shoe ak ing which comprises providing a sole'havi I heel-breast receiving shoulder extending be wise of the sole and having a heel breastcove ring fiap and a reduced heel seat which terminate atthe bottom and top edges respectively of'- said heel-breast receiving shoulder, and fitting""a Louis heel having" a forwardly 'projectingflipto v the sole, said lip being for a considerable distance rearwardly of its leading edge of a uniform thickness equal to the height of the shoulder, including removing material from the lip, if necessary, to insure that the lip shall snugly engage the heel-breast receiving shoulder when the heel is properly positioned with relation to the rear end of the shoe.

2. That improvement in methods of shoemaking which comprises splitting a heel-breast covering flap from the grain side of the heel end of a sole and terminating the same at the heel breast line of the sole, forming a heel-breast receiving shoulder at the base of the flap, reducing the heel-seat portion of the sole, forcing the projecting lip of a Louis heel against the heel-breast receiving shoulder after the sole has been attached to a shoe to determine the length of the attaching face of the heel with relation to the heel seat of the shoe, said lip being for a considerable distance rearwardly of its leading edge of a uniform thickness equal to the height of the shoulder, grinding the lip of the heel, if necessary, to insure that the lip of the heel shall snugly engage said heel-breast receiving shoulder when the heel has been accurately positioned with relation to the rear end of the shoe, and attaching the heel to the shoe and the flap to the breast of the heel.

3. That improvement in methods of shoemaking which comprises splitting a sole to form a heel-breast covering flap and simultaneously therewith removing a layer of sole material to form a heel-breast receiving shoulder at the base of the flap, securing the sole to a shoe, attaching a Louis heel to the shoe, and adhesively securing the flap to the breast of the heel.

4. That improvement in methods of shoemaking which comprises providing a sole with a heelbreast receiving shoulder and. a reduced heelseat portion having a recess, positioning the heel end of the sole lengthwise and widthwise upon a shoe upper while utilizing the heel-breast receiving shoulder and the recess respectively, and attaching the positioned sole to the shoe upper.

5. That improvement in methods of shoemaking which comprises splitting a heel-breast covering flap from the grain side of the heel end of a sole and simultaneously therewith removing a layer of sole material to form a heel-breast receiving shoulder, forming a recess in the sole, reducing the heel-seat portion of the sole, positioning the rear end of the sole lengthwise and widthwise upon a shoe by utilizing the shoulder and the recess respectively, and attaching the positioned sole to the shoe.

6. A sole provided with a heel-breast receiving shoulder extending from one side of the sole to the other, said sole having a reduced heel seat and a heel-breast covering flap which with said shoulder and said reduced heel seat forms a mortise to receive the lip of a Louis heel, the material of the flap being continuous with the material of the main portion of the sole at said shoulder, said reduced heel seat having an elongated slot which is located at equal distances from opposite sides of the sole and the forward end of which is positioned substantially at said shoulder.

7. That improvement in methods of shoemaking which comprises splitting a heel-breast covering flap from the grain side of the heel end of a sole and simultaneously therewith removing a layer of sole material to form a heel-breast receiving shoulder, forming a recess in the heelseat portion of the sole, reducing the heel-seat portion of the sole, positioning the sole lengthwise and widthwise upon the shoe by utilizing said recess, and attaching the sole to the shoe.

LEWIS J. BAZZONI. 

